Root Canal Therapy Specialist in Los Angeles, CA

Root canals are performed to remove any part of the tooth that is infected or has developed an abscess. This process is done as a surgical procedure, requiring X-ray imaging of the affected tooth to determine the extent of the damage and to confirm that a root canal is the best course of treatment. After administering local anesthesia to the gums surrounding the infected tooth, the specialist, often an endodontist, will clean out all of the infected pulp or nerves within the tooth, making sure to leave behind only clean and healthy surfaces of the tooth, disinfect these remaining surfaces, and then fill the space left behind to prevent any new infections or bacteria from developing. Most root canals will end with the placement of a crown of some sort to ensure that the remaining tooth is properly protected and restored to its original, healthy functioning.

Most root canals will be fairly straightforward for treatment, only requiring one appointment that will take around 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete when the infection is small or moderate. For cases where the infection has progressed, the entire root canal procedure will likely take closer to an hour and a half to complete as it will often be a bit more complicated, especially if the tooth has multiple large roots that require treatment. The more complex, advanced cases also may require more than one appointment to make sure that the infected tooth is cleaned out thoroughly, and sufficiently sealed up to be protected from incurring further damage. The time it takes to x-ray, measure, and prepare the affected tooth is taken into account for the total procedure time, not including any assessments that were made during a prior dental appointment.

To ensure that your root canal treatment proceeds as smoothly as possible, it is important to make sure that you follow all provided instructions or recommendations from your endodontist, including taking any prescribed medications such as anti-inflammatory medications or antibiotics that will help to manage the infection, preventing it from worsening before the treatment has been completed. Patients who smoke will need to avoid smoking tobacco at least several days before the appointment if not just quitting altogether, as products containing tobacco will interfere with the body’s natural healing abilities. Additionally, the root canal procedure will use local anesthesia, which will make your mouth numb for the procedure but also for several hours following, so it is always recommended that patients make sure to eat a substantial meal before the procedure to help manage their hunger until it is more comfortable to once again consume food.

It may also be a good idea to pick up all of your prescribed medications that are needed for following the procedure beforehand so that you can go straight home once the root canal is complete without having to worry about stopping at the pharmacy. Patients should feel encouraged and supported in asking any questions or addressing any concerns that they may have regarding the root canal procedure beforehand as well. Endodontists provide several root canals daily, with it being an incredibly routine procedure, but any procedure can be uncomfortable or scary, so you must voice any worries you may have or gather any information you can that may make your experience of the procedure a bit easier.

Patients who want a speedy and minimally painful recovery from their root canal will need to follow all aftercare instructions and recommendations from their endodontist. These instructions and recommendations will typically include avoiding consuming any hard or crunchy food for several days following the procedure to prevent any unnecessary mouth or jaw pain by sticking mainly soft foods until the tenderness has eased up. To make sure that the treated area heals properly, good dental hygiene will be vital, including just brushing and flossing as you normally would. To minimize pain and risk of further infection, take all recommended medications along the recommended dosage and timing until you have completely healed.

To save a natural tooth and prevent reinfection, root canal therapy or treatment is applied to eliminate bacteria from an infected root canal. It is necessary to remove the inflamed or infected pulp during a root canal treatment. The inside of the tooth is sterilized and cleaned after the pulp has been removed, and afterward, it is filled and sealed.
 
In most cases, physical symptoms don’t appear until the problem has become more advanced, which is why it’s so important to see your dentist regularly. The only problem is that if you don’t see the dentist before the problem escalates, you might end up with an infected tooth and a root canal.

When you experience pain in your tooth, it is an indication that there is something wrong with its roots. You should see your dentist as soon as possible if you are experiencing pain when doing normal activities such as eating or drinking. You will be examined by your dentist to determine whether your blood vessels or nerves have become inflamed due to infection.
 
Chipped or cracked teeth can occur when you eat hard foods, engage in contact sports, or undergo previous dental procedures that went wrong. An infection can develop when the nerves beneath the surface of a tooth are exposed due to cracks or chips. Infections that spread through the bloodstream can occur in the roots of teeth. To prevent further infection and pain, a root canal is needed in the case of an untreated infection.
 
Tooth sensitivity is another sign that you may need a root canal. You may have a problem if you suffer from toothache when drinking hot drinks such as coffee or tea. An ache that starts dull can become sharp and intense. Those with an infected tooth may also experience pain from cold foods and drinks.
 
The purpose of root canal treatment is to repair and save teeth that have become badly decayed or infected. To repair a damaged tooth pulp, blood vessels and nerves are removed and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed.

An endodontist removes the inflamed or infected pulp from inside the tooth, cleans and shapes it, then fills and seals it. You will then return to your dentist to have a crown installed or another restoration done to protect and restore the tooth. When a tooth is restored, it continues to function as if it were a natural tooth.

In the first step, the dentist removes everything inside the root canal. A dentist uses very small files to remove the diseased and dead pulp tissue from the tooth while the patient is under local anesthesia.
 
After this, the dentist uses tiny files and irrigation solutions to clean, shape, and decontaminate the hollow area. To seal the canals completely, adhesive cement is used to fill the tooth with a rubber-like material. When a tooth ceases to feel pain after a root canal, it is called a dead tooth. In that tooth, the nerve tissue has been removed, and the infection has been eradicated, so there will no longer be any pain.
 
There will, however, be a greater risk of damage to the tooth. When there is no pulp in a tooth, it relies on the ligament that connects it to the bone for nutrition. There is enough supply, but the tooth will become brittle over time, so a crown or filling will protect it. Patients should avoid chewing or biting on the tooth until the crown or filling is complete. In the event that a crown or filling is done, the person can continue to use the tooth as before. One or two additional appointments may be required if the canals are curvy, there are multiple canals, or there is a large infection.
 
Ace Endodontics in Los Angeles, CA provides effective root canal therapy to ease pain and save natural teeth. We are conveniently located at 11980 San Vicente Blvd Ste 900 Los Angeles, CA 90049. For more information, please contact us or schedule an appointment online. We serve patients from Brentwood Park CA, West Hollywood CA, Venice CA, Beverly Hills CA, Santa Monica CA, Culver City CA, and surrounding areas.